Even with the current and sustained boom in office automation, with powerful desktop computer work stations, with sophisticated wordprocessing, data base and graphic software packages, and with a proliferation of multi-bin laser printers, there is an evident dearth of compatible equipment which can print media of varied dimensional measurements such as, for example, the wide variety of envelopes, postcards, labels and other stock. Certainly multi-bin laser printers can print on a variety of media sizes and qualities. However, such laser printers generally have media paths which operate quite similarly to photocopiers and thus require that the media be substantially flexible in order to conform to the radii of the various wheels and rollers which define the media feed path. Some systems, notably the MacIntosh.RTM. computer systems offered by Apple.RTM. Computer provide for the feeding of envelopes as well as sheet material for imprinting thereon. However, such systems are not adept at rapidly handling a substantial volume of multi-dimensional media such as envelopes which might be prepared in a moderately sized business office. Certainly services which are in the business of mailing hundreds of thousands of envelopes a day for purposes of surveys and promotion have large, high-throughput label or envelope printers for handling the volume. The cost and physical size of such printers is generally prohibited for purposes of use in the average business office.
Alternatively, such services and business offices use envelopes with windows which match the location of the address on the letter to be positioned inside the envelope.
The prior art does demonstrate devices for printing labels and the like. One of these devices is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,174 entitled "Instant Label Printer for Host Computer". This patent teaches a stand-alone, peripheral device which connects to a desktop computer and is capable of printing labels, such as labels for envelopes. Based on the mechanical structure of this system, there is no teaching of printing other than labels provided on a continuous roll. Envelopes of various sizes along with media stock of various thicknesses and sizes could not be effectively stored or fed through this system. As the labels to be printed are provided on a continuous roll, problems associated with feeding individual media, which may have different dimensional quantities has not been addressed. Further, the need to provide appropriate registration for purposes of positioning data in desired locations on multi-dimensional media, as well as printing on the leading and trailing edges, is not contemplated. Printing adjacent to edges of media is becoming increasing important for purposes of conforming to U.S. Post Office standards for FIM and Post Net Code numbers in order to speed the mail through the U.S. Postal system.
Another patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,415 entitled "Apparatus for Feeding Sheets of Paper from a Magazine to a Printing Office Machine", discloses a media handling mechanism which can be retrofitted to an office printer and provides for feeding single sheets of media from one or more trays to the printer. The media is held in place in the tray with separating tab mechanisms. These separating tab mechanisms serve to snap the topmost sheet of media from the stack of media when a separating roller drives the topmost sheet from the stack into the printer platen. Additionally, the printer platen is caused to rotate backwardly against the direction of media feed from the separating roller in order to provide registration of the media.
Again, such a device is not set up for handling multi-dimensional media, for registering such multi-dimensional media with respect to the data to be printed, or for that matter, for providing printing adjacent the edge of such multi-dimensional media as is advantageous according to U.S. Post Office guidelines.